Ebix Reaffirms Strong Business Outlook and Responds to Short Report
Ebix, Inc. (NASDAQ: EBIX) issued a response to misleading allegations raised by a short-seller article on June 16, 2022. The company emphasized that its financial reporting aligns with GAAP and SEC standards, confirming the accuracy of transactions from its EbixCash payment solutions in India. Independent auditors have audited the India business, issuing unqualified opinions for the years ending December 2020 and December 2021. The company clarified that its gift card business represents minimal operating income, not materially affecting overall profits.
- Independent auditors confirmed the accuracy of financial reporting with unqualified opinions.
- Engaged multiple auditing firms to validate the company's financial practices, enhancing credibility.
- Ongoing process of initial public offering for the Indian subsidiary may indicate future growth opportunities.
- Gift card business only generated operating income of 1% or lower in the last two fiscal years, contributing minimal value.
JOHNS CREEK, Ga., June 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ebix, Inc. (NASDAQ: EBIX), (the “Company”) a leading international supplier of On-Demand software and E-commerce services to the insurance, financial, travel, healthcare and e-learning industries today issued a response to an article published on June 16, 2022 by a short-selling position holder in Ebix common stock. As the Company’s Indian subsidiary is currently under review for an initial public offering in India, Ebix is limited in its ability to respond to the article’s specific contents.
Ebix refutes the report’s grossly misleading and erroneous allegations and reiterates that its financial reporting, including but not limited to all transactions from and within its EbixCash payment solutions offerings in India, and revenue recognition policies thereof, are accurate and appropriate and in compliance with GAAP and SEC reporting requirements.
Since March 2021, the Company has engaged the services of two independent auditors to audit the Company’s India businesses jointly, in addition to the engagement of counsel, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, along with accounting experts from the consulting firm, AlixPartners LLP, to assist the Company with respect to any issues related to the Gift card business.
Having reviewed the work performed by AlixPartners and considering all their observations, the Board of Directors was satisfied that no steps were necessary with respect to the gift card business. Since then, the Company’s consolidated independent auditors have completed the audit of the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows of the company for two calendar year periods ending December 2020 and December 2021 while expressing an unqualified opinion.
In addition, two independent joint statutory auditors for the consolidated India business have audited the India business for the period ended March 2021 and the interim period from April 1, 2021 to September 30, 2021 and expressed an unqualified opinion on both - the consolidated India business and the Indian gift card subsidiary. The audited financial statements of the Indian businesses for the three years ended March 31, 2021 and the six months ended September 30, 2021 are included within the DRHP filing that was submitted for regulatory review in March 2022.
RSM’s previously issued reports on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 did not contain an adverse opinion or a disclaimer of opinion; nor were they qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope, or accounting principles.
Ebix’s gift card business, which received the bulk of the report’s attention, generated operating income of
About Ebix, Inc.
With approximately 200 offices across 6 continents, Ebix, Inc., (NASDAQ: EBIX) endeavors to provide on-demand software and e-commerce services to the insurance, financial services, travel, healthcare and e-learning industries. In the Insurance sector, Ebix’s main focus is to develop and deploy a wide variety of insurance and reinsurance exchanges on an on-demand basis, while also, providing Software-as-a-Service ("SaaS") enterprise solutions in the area of CRM, front-end & back-end systems, outsourced administration and risk compliance services, around the world.
With a "Phygital” strategy that combines over 650,000 physical distribution outlets in many Southeast Asian Nations (“ASEAN”) countries, to an Omni-channel online digital platform, the Company’s EbixCash Financial exchange portfolio of software and services encompasses domestic and international money remittance, foreign exchange (Forex), travel, pre-paid gift cards, utility payments, lending and wealth management across 75+ countries including India. EbixCash’s Forex operations is a leader in India’s airport Forex business, with operations in approximately 16 international airports, including Delhi, Mumbai, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata, combined conducting over
Through its various SaaS-based software platforms, Ebix employs thousands of domain-specific technology professionals to provide products, support and consultancy to thousands of customers on six continents. For more information, visit the Company’s website at www.ebix.com
SAFE HARBOR REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
As used herein, the terms “Ebix,” “the Company,” “we,” “our,” and “us” refer to Ebix, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its consolidated subsidiaries as a combined entity, except where it is clear that the terms mean only Ebix, Inc.
The information contained in this Press Release contains forward-looking statements and information within the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. This information includes assumptions made by, and information currently available to management, including statements regarding future economic performance and financial condition, liquidity and capital resources, acceptance of the Company’s products by the market, and management’s plans and objectives. In addition, certain statements included in this and our future filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), in press releases, and in oral and written statements made by us or with our approval, which are not statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Words such as “may,” “could,” “should,” “would,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “seeks,” “plan,” “project,” “continue,” “predict,” “will,” and other words or expressions of similar meaning are intended by the Company to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These forward-looking statements are found at various places throughout this report and in the documents incorporated herein by reference. These statements are based on our current expectations about future events or results and information that is currently available to us, involve assumptions, risks, and uncertainties, and speak only as of the date on which such statements are made.
Our actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause such a difference, include, but are not limited to those discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and subsequent reports filed with the SEC, as well as: the ongoing effects of the Covid-19 global pandemic, the willingness of independent insurance agencies to outsource their computer and other processing needs to third parties; pricing and other competitive pressures and the Company’s ability to gain or maintain share of sales as a result of actions by competitors and others; changes in estimates in critical accounting judgments; changes in or failure to comply with laws and regulations, including accounting standards, taxation requirements (including tax rate changes, new tax laws and revised tax interpretations) in domestic or foreign jurisdictions; exchange rate fluctuations and other risks associated with investments and operations in foreign countries (particularly in India, Australia and Asia, Latin America and Europe wherein we have significant and/or growing operations); fluctuations in the equity markets, including market disruptions and significant interest rate fluctuations, which may impede our access to, or increase the cost of, external financing; ability to secure additional financing to support capital requirements; credit facility provisions that could materially restrict our business; costs and effects of litigation, investigations or similar matters that could affect our business, operating results and financial condition; and international conflict, including terrorist acts and wars.
Except as expressly required by the federal securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update any such factors, or to publicly announce the results of, or changes to any of the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect future events, developments, changed circumstances, or for any other reason.
Readers should carefully review the disclosures and the risk factors described in the documents we file from time to time with the SEC, including future reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K, and any amendments thereto.
You may obtain our SEC filings at our website, www.ebix.com under the “Investor Information” section, or over the Internet at the SEC’s web site, www.sec.gov
CONTACT:
Darren Joseph
678 -281-2027 or IR@ebix.com
David Collins or Chris Eddy
Catalyst Global - 212-924-9800 or ebix@catalyst-ir.com
FAQ
What was Ebix's response to the short-seller article published on June 16, 2022?
What did the independent auditors conclude about Ebix's financial practices?
How did Ebix's gift card business perform financially?
What ongoing development is Ebix's Indian subsidiary currently undergoing?
